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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · rush · pit · patient · track · bound · file · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. file — a document
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bound — certain
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — obliged
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — a path
  14. bound — tied together
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. file — a tool
  17. track — a song
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com